Participants at the just-concluded International African Energy, Oil and Gas Summit in Angola have lamented the continuous flaring of gas in Africa and the continent’s natural resources that are not adequately utilised for Africa’s industrial development.
The participants, which include diplomats and top industry players, agreed that all products from oil must be used, and there must be an end to gas flaring in Africa.
The Summit expressed disappointment over Africa’s paradoxical situation of having natural resources that are not adequately utilised for Africa’s industrial development, lamenting that despite substantial gas reserves in Africa, it was still unable to explore gas to achieve adequate electricity generation.
They agreed that most African countries rich in oil and gas like Nigeria and Angola, were yet to be able to eradicate poverty because citizens are not benefitting maximally from the proceeds of the oil revenue.
A communique signed by Justice Suleman Galadima and Barr Noah Ajare said the Summit, which was themed, ‘Balancing the need for smooth Energy Transition in Africa and the role of Artificial Intelligence in the Energy Sector’, held at Intercontinental Hotel, Luanda Miramar, Angola, noted that there was an urgent need for all personnel responsible for preventing, controlling, and cleaning up oil spills in Africa to do more, adding that “they should be trained and to follow the Standard Operating Procedure. Training should be conducted annually. All spills should be documented and maintained. This should involve the host communities, the companies and the government.”
The Summit, however, commended Green Energy International Ltd for being the first Nigerian company to establish a modular LPG extraction plant, thereby eliminating associated gas flares in Nigerian stranded oil fields, called “The Otakikpo field innovative strategy”.
The Summit observed that Africa’s economic potential has been constrained by many structural issues, including inadequate infrastructure, tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade, fundamental obstacles to investment, uncertain government policies and reluctance of previous governments to take the necessary bold steps required to achieve sustained economic growth.
